1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the field of computer-implemented inventions, and more specifically, to a system and method for conducting field inspections and generating reports.
2. Description of the Related Art
Currently in the field inspection environment, field workers will gather information for reports using a notepad, a handheld GPS, and a handheld camera, if needed. Field workers will go from site to site collecting the information needed for the particular reporting they do (environmental compliance, construction compliance, safety inspections, and any other location-based reporting). Once the data is collected by the field worker, that field worker must travel back to the office, where the data will be manually organized into a report. This report may take the form of a collection of Microsoft Word or Excel documents, for example. Collecting and organizing this information into a predefined format is time-consuming and tedious. Some companies will have the data gathered from field workers passed to an in-house person who will consolidate the collected data into the reporting forms. The present invention effectively eliminates the need for a transcriber in the office.
In addition, reports need to be delivered to interested parties; therefore, the data must be maintained by the reporting company. Typically, this data is maintained in hard copy form in three-ring binders, and in some cases, multiple sections of the three-ring binders must be updated for each individual report. This updating is generally done by an office worker who collects information from field workers and updates the binders. The present invention replaces this method of maintaining information and updating reports in three-ring binders.
Each step of the process—collecting, organizing, maintaining and updating inspection data—is tedious, time-consuming, and error-prone. Furthermore, there is no ability to audit when and where the data was collected, i.e., the actual GPS location and the date and time on which the data was gathered. As such, there is no way to guarantee that the inspection was actually performed on-site (i.e., at a location that was part of the site inspection). Due to the significant opportunities for error and/or outright fraud in the current methods for collecting and processing inspection data, companies are at risk for possible penalties and fines for noncompliance or for not responding to problem areas.
In the typical situation, if a problem occurs in the field, the field worker will take notes and possibly take a photograph of the location and pass that information on to an office worker either later in the day or later in the week. It is then up to the office worker to input the data from the field worker into a report format, recognize that there was a problem, and notify the proper personnel to dispatch a work crew or take any other appropriate action. Each of these steps is prone to human error, which may result in penalties and/or other regulatory action.
What is needed is a system and method for collecting, organizing, maintaining and updating inspection data in the field and for generating an associated report in real-time without the need for office assistance. The invention would preferably utilize a tablet computer for collection in the field of data, photographs, drawings, location and date and time of inspection.